Electrical apparatus



Feb. 1, 1938.

H. s. GATES 2,106,838

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26, 1936 ii, l!

Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL APPARATUS vania Application August 26, 1936, Serial No. 98,103

2 Claims.

This invention relates, generally, to electrical apparatus, and particularly to protective devices for electrical apparatus.

In electrical apparatus such as transformers,

5 capacitors, switches or the like, a liquid which is decomposable in the presence of an electric arc is usually employed as the insulating and cooling medium for the electrical device. When the liquid is decomposed, obnoxious and irritating l gases, such as hydrogen chloride gases, are evolved. In order to prevent the escape of the obnoxious gases to the atmosphere surrounding the electrical apparatus, it is desired to provide for efliciently absorbing the gases generated.

15 An object of this invention is to provide for absorbing the gases generated during the decomposition of the insulating medium associated with electrical apparatus.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an elongated path through which the gases generated during the decomposition of the insulating medium associated with an electrical apparatus may flow and of means in the elongated path for efiiciently absorbing the gases.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view in elevation and partly in section of an electrical apparatus embodying the teachings of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view in elevation and partly in section of the protective device embodying the teachings of this invention; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a tray of the gas absorbing material employed in the protective device shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figure 1 thereof, this invention is illustrated with reference to a transformer tank Ill, which contains the usual core structure, windings, lead wires, and insulating medium, such as a halogenated hydrocarbon compound, or a mixture of such compounds or the like, not shown.

In order to absorb the gases generated during the operation of the electrical apparatus, the tank I0 is connected by means of a suitable conduit [2 to one end of an absorbing housing M which is suitably carried by the tank. The housing It comprises a bottom, side and end walls, which form a container for receiving the absorbing apparatus, as will be hereinafter described, and a top'or cover l5 which is carried by the flange I! at the top edge of the side and end walls and removably secured thereto by means of the bolts I9. Lugs I6 and it are so carried by the tank l0 and housing It, respectively, that when the housing It is connected to the tank It] by the conduit i2, the lugs may be secured by means of the bolts 20 to retain 5 the housing in its operative position on the tank. In order to provide an elongated path in the housing M for the flow of evolved gases, a series of baiiie plates 22 and 24 are alternately disposed and carried by the bottom and cover of 10- the housing, respectively. The baflie plates 22 and 24 are secured to the bottom and cover of the housing by some suitable means, such as by welding, and extend between and make a tight fit with the side walls of the housing and extend respectively to a point adjacent the cover and the bottom of the housing to provide a plurality of sections which progressively receive the gases from the electrical apparatus. The spaces between the free end of the bafile plate 22 and the cover l5, and between the free end of the baflle plate 24 and the bottom of the housing l4, provide openings for the ingress and egress of the gases to the sections. As will be seen from an examination of the drawing, the openings for the 25 ingress of the gases to each of the sections progressively alternates from the top of the section to the bottom of the section.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, a tray or cell 26 is disposed in each section through which 3 the gases flow. In the particular embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the cell 26 comprises a channel frame 28 which supports screen covers 30 and 32 to form a receptacle for receiving a filler of suitable gas-absorbing material 34, such as the 35 hydroxides of alkaline metals. The hydroxides are to be preferred since the reaction product is water. Sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide and the hydroxide known as soda-lime are some of the preferred 4O gas-absorbing materials although satisfactory results may be obtained through the use of sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate or calcium oxide.

In practice, the top edge of the channel frame 28 may be open to facilitate the renewal of the gas-absorbing filler.

In order to easily replace or supply cells of fresh gas absorbing material in the sections, the cells are removably disposed between adjacent baflie plates 22 and 24 and held in spaced rela 59 tion thereto as by means of the lugs 36 carried on opposite sides of the frame of the cell. Other guide means, such as suitable grooves (not shown) in the side walls of the housing, may be employed instead of the lugs.

- It is, therefore, desirable to provide for protecting the gas absorbing material 34 in the housing from the normally evolved gases which,v in the course of time, would cause the materialjto become inactive. In order to provide for the protection of the gas absorbing material during the\ normal operation of the electrical apparatus, a frangible gas-impervious diaphragm 42 of glass or similar material which is adapted to be ruptured upon the occurrence of predetermined pressures, is disposed in the end of the conduit l2.

The number ofsections and the number of trays or cells 26 of gas absorbing material provided in the housing may be determined by the rate of absorption of the gases which it is desired to secure. Since it is not always practical to determine the exact amount of gas absorbing material necessary for absorbing the gases which may be generated, it is desirable to provide a relief valve for relieving the pressure which may sometimes be encountered in the housing.

A relief valve 44 for providing the protectiondesired in the housing l4 may be disposed on the cover ii of the housing at the endopposite the end containing the gas inlet. The relief valve 44 may comprise any suitable valve, such as a hinged valve adapted to be opened upon predetermined pressures, or a relief diaphragm adapted to be ruptured upon the occurrence of predetermined pressures. The relief valve 44, in addition to providing protection against excessive pressures in the housing I4, also provides for so sealing the housing from theoutside atmosphere that the gas-absorbing material will not be contaminated by the moisture in the atmosphere. I

Under normal operating conditions, the housing l4 containing the gas absorbing material will be sealed from the insulating medium carried in the tank in. Where electric arcs, such as sometimes occur, are formed in the electrical apparatus, the gases evolved from the insulating medium may become of such a volume as to exert a pressure exceeding the predetermined rupture pressure of the inlet diaphragm 42. When this occurs, the diaphragm I2 is ruptured and the gases enter the housing l4 and flow through the .different sections containing the cells 28 of absorbent material, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

As shown in Fig. 2, when the gases flow between the free end of the bafleplate 22 and the cover II of the housing, they divide and a portion of the gases flows between the top edge of the tray or cell 26 and the cover of the housing, to the other side of the cell of absorbent material. The

gases thus flow downwardly across both faces'oi' Where a fast generation of the gases is expected, it is advisable to increase the number of sections to so elongate the path through which the gases flow and consequently the number of cells of gas absorbing material that the gases will all be absorbed before reaching the end of the noxious and irritating gases'sometimes encountered during abnormal operation of the apparatus are efl'iciently and quickly absorbed. From the description, it is evident that a protective device may be so constructed that the gases may all be absorbed in the protective, device itself. Further, by providing the cells of gas absorbing material removably disposed in the elongated flow path in the protective device, renewal of the absorbing material may be easily accomplished.

Although this invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment there- .of, it is, of course, not to be limited thereto except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an absorber for use with an electrical apparatus containing a dielectric material which will evolve chemically active gases when decomposed, a housing comprising a cover, bottom, end and side walls integrally secured together for receiving the evolved gases, an inlet into the housing, a gas-impervious diaphragm capable-oi being ruptured by an abnormal rise in pressure of the evolved gases in the electrical apparatus disposed in the inlet wholly within an end of the housing for admitting the gases to the housing, baiiles carried in spaced relation in the housing for directing the flow of evolved gases in the housing, said baflles being alternately disposed and' carried by the cover and bottom of the housing and extending across the housing between theside walls to provide a plurality of sections having openings alternately at the top and bottom of the adjacent baiiies forming the sections for'the ingress and egress of the gases, a tray of gas absorbing material removably disposed in each. of the sections for absorbing the gases as they flow through the housing, said tray comprising a channel member frame having an opening therein for receiving the gas absorbing material and side walls of screen carried by the frame for retaining the gas absorbing material and permitting free access of the gases thereto, means for retaining the tray in spaced relation to the adjacent bailies forming the section and to the cover and bottom of the housing for providing spaces therebetween for the flow of gases.

and means for permitting the gases to escape,

apparatus containing a dielectric material which will evolve chemically active gases when decomposed, a housing comprising a cover, bottom, end and side walls integrally secured together for receiving the evolved gases, an inlet into the housing, a gas-impervious diaphragm capable of being ruptured by an abnormal rise in pressure of the evolved gases in the electrical apparatus disposed in the inlet wholly within an end of the housing for admitting the gases to the housing, baiiies carried in spaced relation in the housing for directing the flow of evolved gases in the housing, said baflles being alternately disposed and carried by the cover and bottom of the housing and extending across the housing between the side walls to provide a plurality of sections having openings alternately at the top and bottom of the adjacent baflies forming the sections for the ingress and egress of the gases, a tray of gas absorbing material removably disposed in each of the sections for absorbing the gases as they flow through the housing, said tray comprising a channel member frame carrying side walls of screen for retaining the gas absorbing material and permitting free access of the gases thereto, means carried by the frame of the tray for positioning the tray in spaced relation to the adjacent baflies forming the section and to the cover and bottom of the housing for providing spaces therebetween for the flow of the gases, and means for permitting the gases to escape from the housing when the pressure of the gases 10 in the housing reaches a predetermined value. HENRY S. GATES. 

